The evolution of modern computing technology has focused on producing devices having more “horsepower” than the previous generation. These technological advances have comprised, for example, the development of processors including more and/or faster processing cores able to process larger amounts of data in a shorter amount of time when compared to previous solutions, bus and/or memory architectures that are capable of keeping up with more advanced processors, wired and/or wireless communication protocols having higher bandwidth along with protective measures to allow for the delivery of vast amounts of data in a secure manner, etc. While all of these advances may constitute substantial improvements, they still only contribute to the overall user quality of experience. For example, the capability of quickly processing a large amount of data may be rendered virtually meaningless if the data cannot be readily accessed, manipulated, etc. by the user. Thus, the user interface-related aspects of the device must also be developed.
At least for consumer electronics, user interface technology had been limited to physical peripherals such as a mouse and/or keyboard for many years. The focus on touch interfaces for mobile devices (e.g., smart phones) helped to generate interest for similar touch interfaces being available for desktop, laptop and eventually tablet computers. Touch interfaces may allow a user to directly interact with a device by touching a location on a display of the device. At least one benefit that may be readily apparent is that the user is able to directly interact within a displayed object to be manipulated. This manner of direct interaction is intuitive, and may be preferred in devices configured for touch operation (e.g., having user interfaces constructed specifically for use with touch interaction). While the benefits of touch control are apparent, there can be some drawbacks in situations not specifically designed for touch control. For example, some desktop computers are becoming available that are equipped for standard user interfaces (e.g., keyboard and/or mouse) with the added benefit of displays allowing for touch control. The visual interface presented on the display may still be configured based for mouse and keyboard, and thus, do not readily allow for touch, despite the capability being available. For example, touch control may not be as refined as keyboard/mouse control, may provide for only the selection of an object, etc.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art.